Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-19
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
T'TfE ILLINOLS RAILROAD ms.
ASTER.

7'IfE TLLINOLS R1ILROAD DLS.
ASTER
PARTICULARS or THE AWFUL CALAMITY
NARROWING INCIDENTS FOH
THE CAUSE.-THE VICTIMS.
Further particulars regarding the great
railroad disaster which occurred near Chats
worth, H., on the Toledo, Peoria and West
ern railroad, Wednesday night of last week
substantially corroborate the first reports
Although the number Of persons killed out
right proves somewhat less than at first
supposed, the accident surpasses in magni-
tude and blood-curdling details any Of its
horrible predecessors since railroading first
began in this country
According to the Chicago Times's special
reporter the train was composed of six
sleeping cars, six day coaches and chair
cars, and three baggage 1t was carrying
about 600 passengers, all excursionists, and
was bound for niagara Falls Tho train
had been made up all along the line Of the
Toledo. Peoria and Western road. When
it drew out of Peoria at 8 o'clock Wcdncs
day evening, it was loaded to its utmost ca
pacity. Every berth in the sleepers was
taken, and the day cars carried 90 people
each The train was so heavy that tw,
engines were htched to it, and when il
passed Forest it was an hour and half he
hind time and going ut the rate Of about 81
miles an hour. No stop was made at Chats
WORTH and on the heavy train with its liv.
ing freight sped through the darkness OF
the night.
Three miles east Of Chatsworth is a little
slough where the railroad crosses a dry run
about 10 feet deep and 10 feet wide Over
this was stretched an ordinary wooden
trestle bridge, and as the excursion train
came laundering down on it what was tn,
horror of the engineer ON the front engine
when he saw that this bridge was afre
Right up before his eyes leaped the bright
flames and the next instant he was among
them. There was no chance TO stop, Ha,
there been warning it would have taken
half mile 10 stop that on- rushing mass oi
wood. iron and human lives. and the TRAN
was within 100 yards Of the red-tonguec
messengers Of death before they hashe,
their fatal signals into the engineers face
But he passed over in safety The first en-
gine keeping the rails, as it went over tn,
bridge fell beneath it, and it could only
have been the terrific speed of the trair
which saved the lives of engineer and fire
man. But the next engine went down an,
instantly the deed of death was done. Ca
crashed into car, coaches piled upon ON,
another, and in the twinkling of an ey,
nearly 100 people found instant death an,
many more were so badly hurt they coul'
not live As for the wounded, they wer
everywhere Only the sleeping coache
escaped, and as the startled and half dress
ed passengers came tumblng out Of then
they found such IA scene Of death as is rare
" witnessed and such work 10 do that i
seemed as if human hands were utterly in
capable.
Down in the Ditch.
1t lacked but five minutes Of midnight
Down in the ditch lay the second engnee
McClmtock, dead, and Fireman Applcgat
badly injured. On top were piled tn
three baggage cars, one upon another lik
Il chid's card-house after he had swept
with his hand. Then came the six da
coaches They were telescoped as car
never were before, and three of them wer
pressed into just space enough for one
! The second car had mounted off its truck
and crashed through the car ahead Of il
crushing the wood work aside like tinder
and Law there resting on the tops Of tn
seats while every passenger in the iron
car was lying dead or dying underneath
/ Out Of that car but four people came aliv,
On top of the second car lay the third. an
its bottom was smeared with the blood q
its victims. The other three cars were no
so badly crushed, but they were broke
and twisted IN every conceivable way an
every crushed timber and beam represent
ed a crushed human frame and a broke
| bone Instantly the air was filled Wit
cries Of the wounded and the shrieks Of tn
diving. The groans Of men and the scream
Of women united to make appalling sound'
and above all could be heard the agonizin
| cries of little children, as in some instance
they lay pinned alongside their dead pi
rents.
And there was another terrible DANCE
vet to be met. The bridge was still burn
ing and the wrecked cars were living O
and around the tercely burning ember,
| Fyeryw here in the wreck were wounde
and unhurt men, women and childre
| whose lives could be saved if they could i
gotten out, but whose death, and death in
most horrible form, was certain if the twis
ed wood Of the broken cars caught fir,
and to fight the fire there was not dro
Of water and only some 30 able bodie
men, who still had presence of mind an
nerve enough to do their duty. The onl
light was the light Of the burning bridg,
For four hours these men fought the fir,
and for four hours the victory hung in I'll
balance. Earth was the only weapon wit
which the foe could be fought, but ther
was no pick or shovel TO dig it up, no bai
kets or barrows TO carry it. So desperat
were the men that they dug their finger
down into the earth which a long drout
had baked almost as hard as stone, an
heaped the precious handfuls upon the ell
croaching flames, and with this earth wor
built handful by handful they kept bac
the foe. While this was going ON othe
brave men crept underneath the wrecke
cars beneath the fire and the wooden ba
which held as prisoners so many precioI
lives, and with pieces of board and som,
times their hands beat back the fam,
when they flashed up alongside some III
fortunate wretch who was pinned down /
a heavy beam.
The Work Of Rescue.
Finally the yiptorV WAS won the fire WI